Who is dad-of-8?

DAD-OF-8 / Who is DAD-OF-8?

The below was written perhaps 10 years ago. The biggest change is that I have gone from having children to being a grandparent to their children (PAPA). As Jackie Gleason might say “How sweet it is”.

First, I should tell you what I am not. I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, or even a therapist. Nor am I a nurse, doctor, or even an aide. I am also not a teacher, teacher's aide, principal, or even a librarian. I am not an adoption lawyer, legal aide, or even a law clerk.

I am mentioning this so that you realize that any opinion I have toward foster care, adoption, etc. is only my own. I am in no way a professional in the field. But then again, I haven't met any of the type of people above who have adopted 7 children. Most of what I've learned has been from the kids. Life is never boring around here. The amazing part is, not only am I surviving it, but I am actually enjoying it.

Now that you know what I am not, here's a little bit about myself. My age is in the mid-fifties. I have been married for 30 years. First and only marriage. Unfortunately, my wife has been disabled by a stroke about five years ago. She is being cared for at home. Financially, I guess we would be considered middle class, in other words, able to own a home, car, and just barely able to afford to pay the bills.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to my children, their spouses and families and my grandchildren who have made life exciting, never boring, entertaining, and most importantly, more meaningful than it could ever possibly have been without them. Thank you to my local Department of Social Services and the social workers who have made my family possible. Not only have you helped my children's lives but you have enormously improved mine.

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The last time my family adopted a child was about 6 years ago. I have decided to build this web site because I know that there are many more great kids out there that need homes. By understanding how this came about for my family, you might consider a similar path for yours.